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Friday, August 12, 2011

Kids, I think we should see other families

Mom: Why don't we call this next road trip what it is. A nice long break.Kids: So this break... is a break-up.Mom: Come on kids. You know this isn't easy for me. <Jerry Maguire>

That's how it went in my head.

Tonight I am throwing a little end of summer bash for the boy child. He's heading back to his father's house tomorrow and I thought a little party for him and his friends would be a great way to wrap up his visit. Plus it would buy me some cool points. I have had the kids on my own for almost 12 years now so I've never really had the chance to be Weekend Mom or Fun Mom.

My requests this morning were pretty simple. "Please get all of your crap out of the living room. Pack the remaining items you want to take back to your dad's house so we can put them in the car for tomorrow. Text me a grocery list of food items you want for the party." I said. The response, "Some of this stuff isn't mine. I am not picking up Alex's stuff just because she's at work. Do I need to pack stuff? Can't we just put it in the car?"

I sat at my desk and thought about how to explain to the kid that tomorrow when he leaves... I'm going to be left with random funky smelling sweat socks, pizza crusts, empty soda cans, spills no one will mention until it eats the varnish off the floor, etc. and he will be long gone, leaving his sister and I to pick up the pieces. No mention of the destruction that I am sure will happen to his room between now and 9:30 AM tomorrow.

A quick text to my daughter yielded much the same reaction. "I've picked up MY stuff."

That's when it hit me. We're not really working toward fixing our family relationship. We talk about it all the time, but we don't seem to care if it ever gets fixed. It's like we're all three waiting for the next best thing. I made up my mind, picked up my cell and dialed the house phone to tell my kids, "I think we need to see other families. Just a break. Not a break up."

Apparently only one of my kids thinks I'm funny and even she said... "Yeah it's funny, but that's a long way to go for a joke Mom."

8 comments:

"We're not really working toward fixing our family relationship. We talk about it all the time, but we don't seem to care if it ever gets fixed. It's like we're all three waiting for the next best thing." I suppose that's because we're creatures of habit, don't you think. But it was a good idea to try and score some extra points. Just don't tell your boy child about Bert and Ernie... I read some shocking news today.

I always wondered why they called it the nuclear family. I thought “nuclear age” families in the nuclear age, yeah, that’s the ticket. Uh, no. They call it the nuclear family because they are constantly running into each other like wild atoms do in an atomic reaction. Sooner or later somebody in the nuclear family go “BOOM!”

Angie - I was lol-ing all the way through this because even now as an adult, I recognize all of it. We still have an argument now and them "who's turn is it to wash the dishes?... not mine I washed last night... not mine, I washed it on Wednesday..." It never ends I tell ya.

About Me

I write but not for money... that is unless you want to pay me. I specialize in snarky observations and cynical yet hopeful romanticism. I am currently writing a DIY book on how to derail your own life. I have a follow up instructional guide on how to relate to all the wrong men for women who weren't able to completely derail their lives with book one. Look for my work at Barnes and Borders.